Weekly Power Rankings will be released at intervals throughout the year after significant action to adjust the has taken place.
Preseason Rankings
Division I
1-Centerville
2- Wayne
3- Springboro
4- Fairmont
5- Beavercreek
Honorable Mention: Northmont, Piqua Troy
Centerville debuts as the #1 team after a State Runner-Up appearance last year. While they lose 3 Division I prospects from that team, they return arguably the top prospect from that team in Gabe Cupps and added Jonathan Powell, Colin O’Connor, and Tommy Dulguun through transfers. Wayne will have back Lawrent Rice and will look to several different guys to help with secondary scoring. Their ability to consistently help Rice will keep the Warriors in the #2 spot. Springboro and Fairmont are neck-in-neck for #3. Boro gets the advantage with having more offensive upside through RJ Greer and other guard play. Fairmont has much of their role guys back and have added some younger pieces to put them right in the mix again, as long as they can replace the loss of Anthony Johnson and Dasan Doucet. Beavercreek rounds out the Top 5 with the return of plenty of their guys, including Isaiah Williams and Kyle Putnam. Replacing the size they had could hurt the Beavers to stay in the Top 5.
Northmont has some athletic guys that could give them an edge head-to-head against the GWOC schools ahead of them. Piqua and Troy have the best chances to crash the Top 5 out of the MVL. Piqua returns Dresean Roberts among some other contributing seniors. Troy also is senior heavy and adds Hollis Terrell back from Dunbar.
Division II
1- Chaminade-Julienne
2- Ponitz
3- Alter
4- Dunbar
5- Meadowdale
Honorable Mention: Carroll, Oakwood, Shawnee
C-J begins the season as the preseason #1 as they added George Washington III and Jackson Washington as well as returning Evan Dickey and Devin Rakestraw. The Eagles have an absolutely loaded roster and at least for the preseason deserve the top spot to begin the season. Ponitz is returning almost everyone from last year, including Dayjuan Anderson, and will be a senior heavy team. Alter has 3 guys returning that have been contributors since their sophomore year. Anthony Ruffolo, Gavin Geisel, and AJ Leen all return and the Knights have some young size that will fill out the rest of the roster. Dunbar is always competitive and has the edge over Meadowdale to start the season with their guard play but must be able to overcome their lack of size. Meadowdale has a nice 1-2 punch in Kalerrio Reaves and Lee Benson but must show depth and scoring outside the 2 in order to jump into that Top 3 conversation.
Carroll returns from a District Runner-Up season and has the top scorer in the GCL last year in Sean McKitrick. Games against C-J and Alter will give the Patriots a chance to pickup quality wins to crash the Top 5. Oakwood likely will be the best team in the SWBL, but need to show consistent play outside Will Maxwell to compete. Shawnee moves up to Division II and return one of the best players in the CBC in Zion Crowe
Division III
1- Preble Shawnee
2- Tri-Village
3- Indian Lake
4- Miami East
5- Milton-Union
Honorable Mention: Carlisle, Greeneview, Versailles
Preble Shawnee debuts as the top team as they have arguably the best local player in the Division in Mason Shrout. Production outside Shrout is going to determine how long the Arrows can hold the top spot, but they have a strong junior class overall. Tri-Village moves up to Division III and has a great backcourt in Dalton DeLong and Wilson Suggs. Their return gives the Patriots a legitimate chance to challenge Preble Shawnee and allows head-to-head battles to determine that #1 spot. Indian Lake was extremely successful last year and brings back their best scoring option in Caiden Nicol. The Lakers schedule gives them some bigger school matchups and could allow them to pickup “bigger” wins. Miami East has a good team returning and has been a team hanging around the Top 5 the last 2 years. Jacob Roeth and Wes Enis are the best duo in the area and have a chance at taking the TRC title. Milton-Union drops to Division III after a 19-win season and the return of their upperclassmen Blake Brumbaugh and Cooper Brown. The Bulldogs will have chances to move up especially against Miami East and D4 Top 5 Troy Christian.
Carlisle may be a surprise in the honorable mention category, but they have back their top end production led by Connor Smith to at least challenge for a Top 5 spot if they can win their games in the SWBL. Greeneview brings back a great group of seniors, but we don’t know who their “guy” is going to be yet. Versailles lost quite a bit of their production from last year, but the return of Connor Stonebraker is going to give the Tigers the advantage of size and play in the interior. If they can win some games early on, especially in the MAC, the Tigers could present a case to jump into a Top 5 spot.
Division IV
1- Jackson Center
2- Fort Loramie
3- Botkins
4- Russia
5- Troy Christian
Honorable Mention: Bradford, Catholic Central, Cedarville
Jackson Center debuts as the top team as they return their top guys in Camdyn Reese and Jace Mullenhour from a District Runner-Up team. The Tigers are well coached and will find ways to compete with everyone they matchup against. Fort Loramie is senior heavy and have back one of the best athletes in the league in Caleb Maurer to surround the talent around. Botkins will bring back Carter Pleiman who is one of the best defensive players in the league. Replacing the offensive production lost will be quite a bit. Russia returns their top young guys from last season, but will face questions to start the year with the loss of their head coach. Troy Christian brings back Parker Penrod and several other players from last year to start the year as a Top 5 team.
Bradford is on the outside looking in currently with Parker Davidson coming back after being one of the top scorers in the WOAC last year. They must show secondary scoring outside Davidson to find their way into conversation. Catholic Central has back the top prospect in the OHC in Tyler Galluch, but lose so much to graduation that we need to wait and see how the new faces perform before moving the Irish. Cedarville returns their starting backcourt, but will be missing their big man from last year and offensively struggled at times. The Indians must get consistent scoring to compete.
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